Of same



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

J. G. BAKER.

MECHANISM FOR CUTTING UP PLASTIC 0R YIELDING SUBSTANCES. No. 271,398. Patented -Jan.30, 1883.

WITNESSES I ZIVVENTOR 6W O I Va/3. 5M

(No Model.) 2 Sheetis-Sheet 2.

J. G. BAKE-R. MECHANISM FOR CUTTING UP PLASTIC ORYIBLDI'NG SUBSTANCES. No. 271,398. PatentedJanfiO, 1883.

WITNESSES-'- Umrn STATES ATENT FFECE.

JOHN G. BAKER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE ENTERPRISE MANUFACTURING COMPANY OF PENNSYLVANIA, OF SAME PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 271,398, dated January 30, 1883,

' Application filed December 1, 1882. (No model.)

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN G. BAKER, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvementsin Mechanism for Cutting UpPlastic or Yielding Substances, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of mechanism, fully described hereinafter, for cutting up into fragro ments ofcomparatively uniform size crude or nnsevered masses of plastic or yielding substances.

1n the accompanying drawings, Figure 1, Sheetl, is an exaggerated diagram illustrating the mode or process on which my invention is based Fig. 2, a vertical section of mechanism by which the main feature of my invention may be carried out; Fig. 3, a view of the knife appertaining to Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a side view,

partly in section, of the machine constructed for family use and for use in stores, &c.; Fig. 5,

Sheet 2, an enlarged sectional view of part of Fig. 4; Fig. 6, a transverse section ofthe casing of the machine on the line 1 2; Fig. 7, atrans- 2 verse section on the line 3 4; Fig. 8, Sheet 1, a modified form of exterior casing, and Fig. 9 a view showing the character of the fragments into which crude masses of yielding or plastic material are cut by the machine.

The process on which my invention is based may be best explained by reference to the diagram Fig. 1, in which A is an exaggerated portion of a metal plate at the end of a receptacle or casing containinga crude mass, B, of 5 the yielding or plastic material to be cut up,

a being one of a number of perforations in the the plate against which the substance is forced.

As this substance is under confinement laterally, there .are no avenues for its escape other than the perforations in the plate. Hencewhen the substance is forced directly against the said plate, portions, owing to its yielding or plastic character, will project into each perforation, and if a knife, D, be moved in the 5 direction of the arrow, with its cutting-edge in contact with that face of the plate against which the substance is forced, so much of this substance as may have entered the perforations will be cut off and the fragments will be pushed through the perforations by successive 'protuberances, which in their turn are cutoff.

In Fig. 2 the perforated plate A is secured to the end of a hollow cylinder or casing, E, containing a piston, F, by which the substance is forced against the plate.

A revolving spindle, G, has one of its bearings in the plate, and is provided with a knife, D, having in the present instance three blades, 1), Fig. 3, provision being made in connection with the spindle for maintaining the cuttingedges of the knife-blade in contact with the plate. As the pressure on the substance is continuedand the knife revolves, the substance will be cut up into fragments, and these will be of uniform or nearly-uniform size if the pressure and the speed of the knife be uniform.

A perforated plate and a knife have been used in a cutting-machine, but in combination with preliminary cutting or chopping knives, moving and stationary, actin-gindependen'tly of the plate,for1ninoing meat before it reaches the said plate in a minced condition, the plate and knife in this case being for the purpose of preventing the escape of large lumps which may have escaped the action of the preliminary chopping-knives.

In my invention reliance for cutting up the substance is placed entirely on the plate and knife and a device for imparting direct pressure to a crude uncut substance against the plate without any action on the substance during its passage to the plate, excepting that for efi'ecting the desired pressure, the aim being to cut up the substance to uniform or nearly uniform sizes-aresultwhichcannot beattained when there are intervening choppers to cut the substance up to different sizes, large and small. This combination of a casing for containing the substance to be cutup, aperforated' plate, a knife, and a device by which the substance is forced in a crude or uncut condition against the plate may be embodied in different structures; but I prefer the plan shown in Figs. 4:, 5, 6, 7, and 8, as it has proved to be most efficient in practice.

As shown in Fig. 6', the casing E has itsinner end secured to and closed bya plate, m, in which is the bearing for the journal 11 of a forcing-screw, '\V, the plate m forming by preference part of a stand which carries the entire machine, and which may be constructed for being clamped or otherwise secured, to a table,

for the machine which I am describing is intended mainly for family use or for store-keepers. The screw terminates at its outer end in a square or many-sided projectiomp, adapted to fit loosely in a corresponding opening in the rotating knife D, which has radial blades 1)- four in the present instance.

The perforated plate or disk A fits into an annular recess in the outer end of the casing, and is confined thereto by the flange h of an internally-threaded ring, I, which is screwed onto the threaded outer end of the said casing.

It is not essential that a screw-ring should be used for confining the perforated plate to its place. The ring, for instance, may be constructed for attachment to the outer end of the casing by boltsorset-screws; but I havefound in practice that when the machine is used for cutting yielding material of fibrous texturesuch as meat, raw suet, &c.--whatever confining appliances are used, they should be such as to force the plate against .the blades, and thus insure the complete severance of stringy or fibrous tissues.

It will be noticed that the rotary knife bears against a shoulder, g, at the end of the propelling-screw, and that the inner end of the latter has a collar, t, bearing against the plate m.

The perforated plate A does not extend to the end of the recess in the casing E; but when the screw-ring is tightened'the plate is forced against the blades of the rotary knife, the latter being prevented from yielding by the shoulder g on the screw, and end movement of the latter beingprevented by the hearing of its collar ta'gainst the plate m, the pressure of the plate against the knife being such as to insure a proper cutting effect without creating undue friction.

As before remarked, the termination 1) of the screw fits loosely in the central opening of the knife, so that while the latter turns with the screw its cutting edges will accommodate themselves to the face of the plate and insure a proper cutting effect.

I prefer to make-the perforations on a taper, as best indicated in the exaggerated diagram, Fig. 1, so that each hole may be bounded on the inner face of the plate by a sharp cuttingedge, as, which co-operates with the blade in severing from the mass in the casing the portions which extend into the perforations and in order to enhance the cutting effect I bevel the blades of. the knife, as shown in 'Fig. 1. For instance, if the knife is rotated in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 7, the blades will be so beveled that the perforated plate shall be in contact with the cutting-edges only of the blades.

A small projection, 11, on the casing projects into a notch in the edge of the perforated plate, or any other appropriate retaining device may be used for preventing the said plate from turning.

A hopper, K, communicates with the interior of the casing near the inner end of the same, and the interior of the casing is corrugated longitudinally in the manner best shown in Fig. 6, the corrugations being such as to present within the casing a number of longitudinal recesses inclined on one side, 8, and abrupt on the other side, .9, theselatter sides forming shoulders, which prevent the screwfrom carrying the material around in thecasing when the said screw is turned in the direction of the arrow. These corrugations, itwillbe observed,

do not extend to the outer end of the casing, but merge into the plain cylindrical portion 9, as shown in Fig. 5.

It will be seen that the ends of the blades of the knife are blunt, and extend very nearly to this cylindrical portion 9 of the casing, so that the knife serves to centralize the screw, the threads of which should be as nearly in contact with the interior of the casing as possible. The thread of the screw extends as near to the perforated plate as the knife will permit, so that the pressure against the substance will be continuous throughout, the screw, in connection with the internal grooves in the casing, being equivalent in its action to the piston F in Fig. 2 in performing the duty of forcing a crude mass of the plastic or yielding substance to be cut up against the perforated plate, and continuing this pressure until the whole or nearly the whole of the material is cut.

The casing is preferably made on a taper that is larger at the outer than at the iunereud, so that there may be an opportunity of obtaining a plate with a larger number of perforations, having an aggregate area sufficient for the passage of the substance forced forward by the screw. The same end can be attained by making the casing bellshaped at the end, as shown in Fig.8.

It will be understood that the screw must be made to conform with the interior of the casing.

If lumps of meat be placed in the hopper K while the screw is turned in the direction of the arrow, they will be forcedby the screw through the interior of the casing, and every hole in the plate will receive a projecting portion of the meat, the projections being rapidly cut off and as rapidly succeeded by other projections.

The meat escapes from the plate in stringlike streams, (shown in Fig. 9,) which are coinposed of small fragments of uniform or nearly uniform size, adhering to each other. but separatinginto fragments when the mass is stirred, for the adhesion of the pieces is slight and caused merely by the pressure of one fragment against the other as they are pushed through the holes in the plate.

My invention is not restricted to thecutting upof meats, suets, 850., although it will generally be used for this purpose by cooks in private families, store-keepers, butchers, &c. It may be used, for instance, for the cutting up of candy while in a plastic state, or for forming dough for crackers, or it may be applied to the cutting up of any material which IIS is ofa plastic or yielding character, and which can be severed by knives.

The invention is also applicable to kneading and mixing purposesas, for instance,- in making pastry for cakes, pies, 85c.

Aprominentadvantage ofthe machine which I have described is the facility with which it can be cleansed,for, after detaching the screwring I and the handle, the perforated plate and knife are at liberty to be removed, and the screw can be withdrawn from the casing at the outer or enlarged end of the same, and after the several parts have been properly cleansed they can be promptly readjusted to their places.

As regards economy of construction, it will be observed that the casing consists of a tube made in onecastihg-a much more economical arrangement than that of making a casing in two parts hinged together, the plan usually adopted in making chopping-machines.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, in a machinefor cutting up plastic or yielding substances, of the following instrumentalities, namely: first, a casing for containing the substances to be cut up; second, a perforated plate at or near the end .of the casing; third, a device for forcing the crude mass forward in the casing and against the said plate without otherwise disturbing the integrity of the said mass; and, fourth, a knife operating against the inner face of the plate, and serving as the sole means, in connection with the said plate, of cutting up the mass by severing therefrom the portions which enter the perforations, all substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a casing, E, having at or near one end a perforated plate, a rotating knife acting against the inner face of the said plate, and a forcing-screw the continuous thread of which extends to or nearly to the knife, and which rotates with the latter, substantially as specified.

3. The combination of a casing, a plate attached to the said casing, and having perforations, each of which is made on a taper, with a device for forcing plastic or yielding substance through the casing, and with aknife, by the action of which, in connection with the sharp edges of the perforations, the said substance is separated into fragments, all substantially as specified.

4. The combination of the casing E, made larger at its outer than at its inner end, with a perforated plate, a knife, and a feed-screw.

5. The combination of a casing, E, made larger at its cuter than at its inner end, with a perforated plate, a knife, and a feed-screw the thread of which conforms with the said casing, as set forth.

6. The combination of a casing, E, having internal longitudinal grooves, each of which is inclined on one side and presents an abrupt retaining'shoulder, on the other, with a perforated plate, knife, and feed-screw, as set forth.

7. The combination of the casing, forcingscrew, and rotating knife with a perforated plate and a retaining-ring, I, detachably secured to the end of the casing, and serving to retain the plate in place and to maintain it in contact with the knife, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination of the casing, feedscrew, and perforated plate and detachable confining-ring, with a knife" constructed to rotate with the screw, but depending for its place thereon upon the said plate and confining-ring, substantially as specified.

9. The combination of the casing, the plate having tapering perforations, and a device for forcing against the said plate .the substance to be cut up, with a knife having radial cutting-blades, the cutting-edges only of which are in contact with the said perforated plate, substantially as specified.

10. The combination of the casing and a perforated plate, adjustable therein, with a feed-screw and with a knife constructed to turn with the screw, but otherwise free thereon to accommodate itself to the face of the perforated plate, substantially as set forth.

11. The combination of the casing, having internal grooves merging into the plain cylindrical termination g of the said casing, with the perforated plate and a screw ring, I, adapted to the threaded cylindrical end of the casing, as set forth.

12. The combination of the casing, feedscre'w, and-perforated plate with a knife constructed to turn with'the screw, and having blades extending to the interior of the plain cylindrical portion '9 of the casing, as set forth.

13. The combination of the casing E, closed at one end and having a detach able perforated plate at the opposite end, with a feed-screw and a knife constructed to turn with the said screw, but removable therefrom after detaching the plate, as set forth.

14. The combination of the casing, made larger at its outer than atits inner closed end, the detachable perforated plate and knife at its large end, with the feed-screw having a journal at the closed end of the casing, and constructed for withdrawal from the casing at the front end of the same, all substantially as set forth.

15. The combination, in a machine for cutting up plastic or yielding substances, of a casing made in one casting in tubular form, with cutting mechanism confined to one end of the casing, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

JOHN G. BAKER.

Witnesses:

HARRY SMITH, HENRY HowsoN, Jr. 

